Graduated student made allegation against Jason Greenawalt

A former Mt. Lebanon High School teacher who was accused of unlawful contact with a minor -- one of his former students -- got that charge withdrawn Monday and took a deal to plead guilty to other charges.

Police say a student claims "inappropriate communications of a sexual nature" with a teacher. The judge uses a profanity while addressing the man in court. A criminal complaint includes details of the allegations.

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Mt Lebanon, a community which saw rapid growth following the opening of the Liberty Tunnel in the 1920s, and remains one of the most popular suburban communities in the Pittsburgh area.

Jason Greenawalt pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal use of a communication facility -- that being a cellphone -- and a misdemeanor count of corruption of a minor. In exchange, the prosecution withdrew the felony charge of unlawful contact.

Allegheny County Judge Jill Rangos sentenced Greenawalt to three years of probation and ordered him not to have any contact with the victim. She told him that "good people make bad decisions" and that "smart people learn from them and move on."

Two Mt. Lebanon teachers testified on Greenawalt's behalf, praising him as a teacher and a friend. The victim was also there, and he agreed to the plea deal, but did not speak in court.

Greenawalt, 33, was suspended and removed from the classroom in March after the student, who had already graduated, came forward with his allegation. Local police were also notified and a letter was sent to parents. (Read the letter.) He no longer works for the Mt. Lebanon School District, and his lawyer said he has left the teaching profession.

The former student claimed that Greenawalt had "inappropriate communications of a sexual nature" with him before and after graduation, according to the school district. The defense maintained it was about text messages, with no physical contact.

"He did not ever physically touch a minor, which he has plead not guilty to, so those were withdrawn," defense attorney Phil DiLucente said. "What he did plead guilty to was simply texting. You have to be careful, especially if you are a teacher or you're around kids, texting them things that can be considered taboo today."

The former student came forward and claimed that he "received sexually explicit messages from Greenawalt while at school and at home" for nearly a year and a half, and he denied ever having sexual relations with Greenawalt, who he said texted him that their relationship "can't be anything until you graduate," according to the original criminal complaint that was filed in March.

The complaint also said that the student said he entertained the sexual conversations over a three-year period because he felt manipulated and trapped by Greenawalt, and he felt that he had to continue to "talk dirty" to Greenawalt in order to continue to be considered one of the teacher's "favorites."

The Mt. Lebanon School District said Greenawalt was a teacher at the high school since 2004 and was the choir director, musical director and band auxiliary sponsor. "He was really nice. He helped me with a lot of work. He helped me, sometimes, with chorus," one student said."The district guidelines require all employees to submit state and federal criminal clearances before employment. This individual's clearances showed no prior violations of any kind," the school district said in a written statement.

In Photos: Mt. Lebanon Then and Now

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WTAE/Shaun Ganley

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of Mt. Lebanon, a community of just over 33,000 people located in the South Hills of Allegheny County. Mt. Lebanon comprises six square miles and is located about five miles south of the city of Pittsburgh.

JASON GREENWALD WAS IN COURT THIS MORNING TO ENTER THAT PLEA DEAL. BOB MAYO WAS THERE THIS MORNING. BOB? Reporter: THIS TEACHER WAS ABLE TO AVOID JAIL TIME, ALSO WAS ABLE TO AVOID BEING LABELED A SEX OFFENDER. YOU'LL SEE 48-YEAR-OLD JASON GREENWALD. THE PROSECUTION WITHDREW THE CHARGES OF UNLAWFUL CONTACT WITH A MINOR, AND HE PLEADED GUILTY TO CRIMINAL USE OF COMMUNICATION, THAT IS, A CELL PHONE DEVICE FOR TEXTING AND CORRUPTION OF A MINOR. NOW, THE VICTIM HAD ALLEGED IN THIS CASE THAT OVER THE SPAN OF A COUPLE OF YEARS, HE HAD RECEIVED SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MESSAGES FROM HIS TEACHER AT THAT TIME, JASON GREENWALD. HIS ATTORNEY SAYS THAT THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL CONTACT HERE. NOW, THE JUDGE TOLD THE DEFENDANT, AS HE ACCEPTED THIS PLEA, THAT GOOD PEOPLE MAKE BAD DECISIONS AND THAT SMART PEOPLE LEARN FROM THEM AND MOVE ON. AGAIN, THIS WAS A CASE OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT TEXT MESSAGES BUT NO PHYSICAL CONTACT. HE DID NOT EVER PHYSICALLY TOUCH A MINOR, WHICH HE HAS PLED NOT GUILTY TO, OKAY? SO THOSE WERE WITHDRAWN. WHAT HE DID PLEAD GUILTY TO WAS SIMPLY TEXTING. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A TEACHER WHERE IF YOU'RE AROUND KIDS, TEXTING THEM THINGS CAN BE CONSIDERED TABOO TODAY. Reporter: IN THE ORIGINAL COMPLAINT, THE STUDENT SAYS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED TEACHER GREENWALD'S FAVORITE STUDENTS, HE HAD TO TALK DIRTY TO HIM.